A First Prize Day

Posted on October 1, 2012 by richrockwood

Last Saturday took First Prize in the annals of my memory.  The wife and I got out of bed when we were ready and not when the clock alarmed us.   We had a leisurely breakfast.  I went off to a meeting while she involved herself with laundry.  We discussed a ten mile bike ride to Art Prize at Meijer Gardens.

When I returned we each busied ourselves with inside tasks.   What a difference a night’s rests can make on one’s attitude towards work.   So while I did my work, the wife finished hers.  There was peace in the house.  I had a tinge of anxiety about a late start shortening our art viewing time, but then remembered we had the entire day.  The anxiety vanished like a popped bubble.

As I worked,  I thought about the Sunday dinner we would host tomorrow.  We would host her dad and son, not many people, but family nonetheless.   We have dinner with dad a couple times a month.  I am warmed by the excellent home cooking, conversation and sense of belonging.

Then we went shopping.  There was a smoothness to the pushing and filling of the cart, setting everything on the conveyor belt, packing our goods  in our re-useable fabric bags  and loading them into the car.  Off-loading everything at home was just as smooth.

After filling the bike tires for maximum comfort, we set off on an all-day adventure

We took surface streets out to Meijer Gardens and roamed the display area, only to be told “no picture-taking.”  So after a quick look around, we headed to the major hub downtown.

We strained up hills and flew into the valleys.  It was a heart-pumping, leg spinning, fast viewing spin across the landscape until we reached the center of town.  There we saw sidewalks thick with folks walking, talking, snapping photos and ogling artistic expressions  of people’s magical imaginings.

My insides rejoiced: “the more art I see, the more I want to see.”  Then we were forced into a bottleneck with too much art within inches of each other.  Too many people were walking too many different directions around us.  It felt like time to go.

Finally we left, pedaling home in the diminishing sunset legs rubberized by a twenty four mile two wheeled junket to and through Art Prize 2012.  The day took First Prize as far as the wife and I were concerned.

Last Saturday showed me that extraordinary days pop up without notice and flow over their twenty-four hour boundary into the sacred space of memory.

Posted in Art, Exercise, Fun, Heaven, Imagination, Laughter, love, Nature, Perspective, relationships | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Changes Are Coming

Posted on October 1, 2012 by richrockwood

Up until now, this blog has mostly been bite sized thoughts generated from my morning devotions.

I believe I can do better.  There is much I am learning and much I need to share with others.

I am two months into my sixty seventh year of life and my third as a writer.  Every part of life is an adventure.  I love the line from a James Taylor song “The secret to life is enjoying the passing of time.”  I am not there yet, but I would like to be.

Stay tuned.

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Book Review of “Memory Theft”

Posted on September 25, 2012 by richrockwood

Local newspaper gives favorable review to “Memory Theft”

Grieving man faces threats to his past in novel by local author

Anyone who would like to find out more may do so at www.richrockwood.com.

Posted in eReading, Faith, Forgiveness, Gambling, Grief, love, Perseverance, relationships, Stress, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Will Awake the Dawn

Posted on September 24, 2012 by richrockwood

As I read Psalm 57 today, I recognized this line from a song we sing at church:   “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.  Let your glory be over all the earth.” (Psalm 57:5 NRSV).  It’s a song that gets stuck in my head for weeks every time we sing it.  I noticed the context was not what I would consider a happy occasion for the man who wrote it (King David).  Just before he wrote that line, he had written this line.  “I lie down among lions that greedily devour human prey; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.” (Psalm 57:4 NRSV).  The line that comes after it is just as bad “They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down…” (Psalm 57:6 NRSV).  I wondered what was going on in David’s life at the time.

A quick check of a commentary told me the psalm was written while David was on the run from King Saul.  He was spending a lot of time in caves hiding from the King and his soldiers.  In the dank darkness of a cave David had pleaded with the Lord for mercy because as he put it, “I lie down among lions that greedily devour human prey.”  The words he used tell us how real and scary the danger was to him.

Then, as was earlier pointed out, glorious words of exaltation mixed with prayer come out of him and something happens in him.  He begins to first feel and then know he will be alright.  God will act.  How did he know that?

I came across this interesting fact in the Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament Vol. 5: Psalms

(Note: With reference to the above passage in the Psalms, the Talmud, B. Berachoth 3b, says, “A cithern used to hang above David’s bed; and when midnight came, the north wind blew among the strings, so that they sounded of themselves; and forthwith he arose and busied himself with the Tôra until the pillar of the dawn ( הׁשחר עמוד ) ascended.” Rashi observes, “The dawn awakes the other kings; but I, said David, will awake the dawn ( הׁשחר את מעורר אני ).”)

The idea which might not be clear to everyone is that King David would awaken when he heard the sound of the strings on his guitar like instrument during the night and begin meditating on the Law of God.   He would realize again and again what God was like, that God would not abandon him, that God had shown himself again and again to be merciful.  His plea for help was going to be heard.  And as he continued in prayer and contemplation through those hours, he became filled with energy and hope.  So filled with hope was he that he didn’t wait for the dawn, he awakened it instead.  And at the end of the psalm he repeats those great words:      “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.  Let your glory be over all the earth.” (Psalm 57:11 NRSV)

While David was not perfect, he did seem to understand that seeking after the Lord’s heart has many benefits including a 180 degree turnaround in attitude about one’s life.   It seems an intriguing thought (challenge?) to be so closely connected to the Lord, even in the night time that the hope we then feel seems to bring the sun out hours ahead of schedule.

Posted in Bondage, Claustrophobia, Courage, Eternity, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, Grief, Habitual Sin, Meditation, Night, Perseverance, Perspective, Praise, Prayer, Quiet Time, Sleeplessness, Stress, Suffering, Trust, Uncategorized, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lord’s Compassion Is Over All that He Has Made

Posted on September 17, 2012 by richrockwood

In these days of violence in the Middle East over spiritual insults and rancorous, negative political campaigning in the U.S., I invite the reader to contemplate this biblical statement about God

8   The Lord is gracious and merciful,
          slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9   The Lord is good to all,
          and his compassion is over all that he has made.  (Psalm 145 NRSV)

What an excellent statement to lift our eyes above the turmoil and heart break of this time on this planet.  God is gracious (kind and pleasant) and merciful ( bringing relief from something unpleasant), slow (not quick or fast) to anger (annoyance or displeasure)  and abounding (having large quantities) in steadfast (unwavering) love (intense feelings of deep affection).

The psalmist then goes on to say God’s compassion (concern for those who are suffering) is over all (every plant, animal, and human being) he has made.

Now this is some good news, something for anyone in any religion or political party to accept as true.  What difference would it make in your life if you began to see all creatures, even those of a different political party and a different religion,  being loved and cared for by God?

 

Posted in Country, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Fear, Forgiveness, Heaven, Laughter, love, mercy, Patriotism, Peace, Perspective, Politics, Praise, Quiet Time, relationships, Religion, Repentance, Stress, Trust, Wisdom, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Removing a Sexual Sin

Posted on September 14, 2012 by richrockwood

The following words written by the great King David after he had abused his authority over Bathsheba, another man’s wife, by having sexual relations with her.  When he found out she was pregnant, he arranged to have her husband killed in battle.  After being confronted by the prophet Nathan, he finally realized what he had done and wrote (scribbled?) these words.

1   Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51: 1-2 NRSV)

Having intimate relations with another person is well…an intimate thing.  In the best of circumstances it takes place between a husband and a wife in the comfort and security of a committed relationship.  In the worst of circumstances it is driven by an addiction or physical abuse.   The porn industry lowers people’s normal desires for physical intimacy to something outside God’s intentions.  Shame and regret attach themselves to the sinner like magnets.

Men and women can be caught in the web of sexual addiction for years without realizing there is a way out.  God, our creator, is a merciful and gracious God who also loves us.  As we ask for His mercy, He forgives us and cleanses us even from sexual sins.  When we’re in the thick of it, we may think there is no way out of habitual sexual sin.  If that is the case for anyone reading this, look up the story of King David and see what happened.  It may be found in Chapters Eleven and Twelve of Second Samuel in the Bible.  Psalm 51 is then David’s prayer for forgiveness and cleansing.   Make it your prayer too.

The sin is never too big or shameful to be forgiven by God.  This is true even of sexual sin

Posted in Bondage, Eternity, Faith, Forgiveness, Guidance, Habitual Sin, Laughter, Meditation, mercy, Peace, Perspective, Prayer, relationships, Repentance, Salvation, Sex, Stress, Suffering | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who In the Skies Can Be Compared to the Lord

Posted on September 12, 2012 by richrockwood

“For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,”  (Psalm 89:6 NRSV)

Recently, my wife and I took vacation in Washington State to visit her son and his girl friend (and meet her family).  We took big jets to get there and back.  I have noticed I usually get nervous before a flight.  My mind plays mental videos of terrible scenarios.  It also plays tapes of my last day alive.  I try to counter those with positive thoughts about the number of people who are delivered safely from airport to airport each and every day.  An estimated 30,000 flights take place every day just in the US.  Worldwide it is estimated to be about 50,000 flights with around one million people in the air during a twenty four hour period.  That’s a lot of human beings up there!  Think of all the elected officials, sports players, movie stars, business and religious leaders up there winging through the skies each day.

When the man who wrote this psalm lived three thousand years ago, he had no idea of human flight.  He was likely thinking of angels.  Still his point is a good one.   All the angels (and today people whizzing around the skies) cannot be compared to the Lord.  He is infinite, we are finite, created just like the angels.  He is perfect in all he does and says, we make mistakes all the time.  We have beauty that fades, His radiating glory has never and will never diminish.  He made the heavens, we have navigated only a minute fraction of them.  His love is eternal, our love is fickle.

Take a look up in the skies today and imagine all those people flying around.  Then in your mind, move above all that traffic to the vast reaches of the universe.    Above all of that and even all the angels is the Lord who is beyond comparison, but not beyond loving.  With our finite minds, we miraculously sense the beauty and incomparable love of our Lord and our God.   How does that make you feel?

Posted in Creation, Eternity, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, Heaven, Meditation, Nature, Perspective, Praise, Prayer, Quiet Time, Religion, Repentance, Salvation, Trust, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The gods of the peoples are idols

Posted on September 5, 2012 by richrockwood

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  (Psalm 96:5 NRSV)

What a world of truth this little verse contains.  In the first reference to higher power, the writer uses the word elohim, gods in the ordinary sense.  In the second reference, he uses the word yehôvâh (the) self Existent Jehovah the Jewish national name of God.   The psalmist is contrasting the two powers.  The first power appears to be strong, but is only an idol elıyl good for nothing, a vanity; the second is from the one who made the heavens shâmayim  the sky.   Which one do we want to follow?

Logically we should always follow the power which is legitimate, but too often we go for the power that seems to make us into something great (eg. a shiny new car, a great hairdo, a flashy suit).  Sometimes it can even be another person we want to be next to because of how it makes us look.

Getting into nature is such a good way to get perspective.  With the night air a bit cooler, let’s do ourselves a favor and gaze into the night sky and ask ourselves “who is Lord at this time in my life?”  Idols come and go, but God is eternal and holds all the power we will ever need and more.

Posted in Creation, Eternity, Faithfulness, Guidance, Heaven, Love of Money, Materialism, Meditation, Nature, Night, Perseverance, Politics, Praise, Prayer, Quiet Time, relationships, Religion, Salvation, Stress, Trust, Weather, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The God of Silence

Posted on September 2, 2012 by richrockwood

“Do not be silent, O God of my praise.”  (Psalm 109:1 NRSV)

A difficulty arises for believers when God seems to have nothing to say.  It contradicts everything we know about God from the Bible.  There we read of God’s will shown and either followed or not followed.  We read accounts where a word is spoken which changes people’s lives (eg Moses at the Burning Bush).  God seems passionate about that which is right and holy.  I do not think I am stretching it to say God appears to have an opinion on everything that is important in life.

Yet, at times He says nothing.  King David was in a baffling situation.  His son, Absalom, has been crowned king by the people, but David already is their king.  What is going on?  Doesn’t God have something to say about this injustice?

He will….in a little while.  And that’s the problem.

Sometimes God asks us to wait awhile, to trust Him, to believe that He will work things out.  The Bible is full of stories of God’s actions.  The Bible also tells us God will deal firmly and finally with everything that is wrong with our world.

Until He does, it still makes good sense to continue trusting He will not only speak, He will act.

Even though God sometimes seems to take too long, it makes more sense to trust Him instead of some machine or person who doesn’t even understand what we are going through.

In the end, David was vindicated and things turned out alright.  All these stories make the point  that if we continue trusting God, things work out often times in a way we hadn’t considered which turns out to be far more effective.

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Where Am I Going?

Posted on September 1, 2012 by richrockwood

14Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. (John 8:14 NRSV)

Jesus knew where he came from and where he was going.  Can any of us say that?

Ex-Beatle George Harrison in an interview once said “no one knows what happens to us after we die.  That is the most important question for us to answer.  Everything else is secondary.”

Jesus existed before the farthest point back in time we can imagine in a place we call Heaven.  None of us knows what that is like.  And no one yet has been able to give us a full account of what happens to us after we die.  We’ve heard stories of going to a light at the end of a long tunnel of sorts.  Some have mentioned having an awareness of many more things.  Others have talked about seeing beautiful scenes.  But it’s all sort of murky what the after-life is going to be like.

We are here right now.  And sometimes we may wonder “where did we come from?  Where are we going?”

One day this same Jesus told his followers “I am going to prepare a place for you.”  He seemed to have so much more awareness of that big picture.

Thomas was one of Jesus’ apostles and when he heard Jesus talking this way, flatly admitted “we don’t know where you’re going so how can we know the way.”  And  Jesus answered “I am the way, the truth.”  (John 14:5-7)

Many years ago, I decided I would hitch my wagon to Jesus and follow Him because He seemed to know the way to a safe, beautiful, permanent place where I wanted to be after I die.

Have you thought about this ultimate question?  Where have you come from and where are you going?  I can’t tell you exactly how and why I came to my decision, but if you’re interested, I would certainly be happy to share what I know.

Posted in Aging, Eternity, Faith, Fear, Guidance, Heaven, love, Love of Money, Materialism, Perseverance, Quiet Time, Salvation, Sleeplessness, Trust, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment